New Jersey and New York Governors Mandate Masks and Other Measures to Protect Workers and Citizens

Governors Cuomo and Murphy announced additional measures intended to protect workers and citizens in New York and New Jersey.

On April 12, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.16, which will require employees of essential businesses who are present in the workplace to wear face coverings when in direct contact with customers or members of the public. This order goes into effect April 15, 2020, at 8:00 p.m.

On April 8, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 122, which created new restrictions and requirements applicable to certain employers across the state, specifically those involved in warehousing, manufacturing, essential retail businesses and construction. In addition to closing all nonessential construction, the order mandates various new requirements employers must implement such as policies for employees to wear cloth face coverings and gloves. Executive Order 122 went into effect on April 10 at 8:00 p.m.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

New York Issues Updated Guidance on the Definition of “Essential Business” and “Non-Essential Business”

On April 9, the Governor issued and updated Executive Order (202.6) to provide further guidance on determining whether a business is “Essential” (and thereby permitted to operate) or “Non-Essential” (and, thereby NOT permitted to operate).

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Brad Molotsky, please visit the Duane Morris Project Development/Infrastructure/P3 Blog.

Pennsylvania Governor Authorizes Emergency Management Officials to Seize Medical Supplies for COVID-19 Fight

On April 8, 2020, because of “a critical shortage of PPE, pharmaceuticals, and other medical resources,” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an Executive Order to “Ensure the Efficient Allocation and Effective Use of Critical Medical Resources.” The order authorizes Pennsylvania emergency management officials “to commandeer and utilize all PPE, pharmaceuticals, and other medical resources required to respond to, provide care for those afflicted by, or otherwise prevent the spread of COVID-19 from all private, public, and quasi-public health care providers and facilities, as well as manufacturers and suppliers of PPE, pharmaceuticals, and other medical resources located within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” The order is effective immediately.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Emergency Order Regarding Corporate Annual Meetings Issued by Delaware Governor

On the evening of April 6, 2020, the Governor of the State of Delaware issued his Tenth Modification to the Covid-19 State of Emergency, which contained provisions fostering a Delaware corporation’s ability to react where it had already called and noticed an annual meeting of stockholders to be held in-person.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Richard Renck, please visit the Duane Morris Delaware Business Law Blog.

New Jersey Governor Authorizes State Police to Commandeer Supplies, Property and Services from Private Entities

On April 2, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 113, which authorizes the Superintendent of State Police acting as State Director of Emergency Management to “take or use personal services and/or real or personal property, including medical resources, for the purpose of protecting or promoting the public health, safety, or welfare.” Due to the “critical shortage of medical resources in the State,” it is anticipated this order will be used primarily to commandeer personal property such as medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) from businesses and institutions.

To read the full text of this Alert, please visit the firm website.

Florida Governor Clarifies Terms of First Statewide Safer-at-Home Order

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ first statewide order restricting travel outside the home went into effect April 3, 2020, with a number of provisions still subject to reasonable debate as to their effect. To clarify the impact of Executive Order No. 20-91, the Office of the Governor released a set of FAQs.

To read the full text of this Alert, which describes a number of the key takeaways from the clarifying document, please visit the firm website.

Florida Governor Issues Statewide Order Restricting Activities Outside the Home

State and local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be changing by the day. Case in point: On March 30, Florida’s governor issued a stay-at-home order of sorts, but only for four counties in South Florida. On April 1, though, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-91, the most sweeping, statewide edict concerning Florida’s response to COVID-19 to date.

Though comprehensive in terms of geographical scope, the extent to which the order will fully yield the benefits of a true “stay-at-home” order remains to be seen, since it does not order all Florida residents to actually stay home or “shelter in place.” Instead, Executive Order No. 20-91 mandates that “all persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.” (Emphasis added.)

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Florida Governor Issues Stay-at-Home Order—But Only for Southeast Florida

On March 30, 2020, the Office of the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order 20-89, the most recent step taken by Governor Ron DeSantis to deal with the spread of COVID-19 throughout Florida. The order essentially directs the counties comprising South Florida (and neighboring Monroe County) to restrict public access to nonessential businesses and facilities until at least April 15, 2020. While other states adopting “stay-at-home” orders have done so on a statewide basis, this order is limited to four counties in southeast Florida. Despite calls for the governor of the country’s third-most populous state to implement the restrictions across the state, he has not done so—yet.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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